Brake rigging



May 28, 1940.

J. F. HOLLOWAY BRAKE RIGGING Filed June 17, 1938 Patented May 28, 1940.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

BRAKE RIGGING. Jesse F. Holloway, Aidan, Pa. Application June 17, 1938, Serial No. 214,340

of this application is disclosed in my Patent No.

2,110,992, issued March 15, 1938.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent to those skilled in the art from the follow- 1 ing descriptionof the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved brake rigging applied to a truck only one-half of which is shown;

20 Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the right end of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the lower end of the brake hanger and brake head showing the means for maintaining the 26 brake shoe concentric with the wheel;

Fig. 5 is an elevation of Fig. 4, viewed in the direction of arrow A, Fig. 4; 1

Fig. 6 is a section on line B6 of Fig. 4.

In the particular embodiment of the invention,

30 such as is disclosed herein merely for the purpose of illustrating one specific form among possible others than the invention might take in practice, I have diagrammatically shown a conventional truck having usual side sills I, end sills 2 and a 35 transom 3 supported upon a pair of wheeled axle units 4 and 5. Usual journal boxes, springs and equalizing beams, as well as other usual truck features, may be employed but are omitted for sake of clarity inasmuch as they do not constitute 40 a part of my present invention. It will of course be understood that the braking apparatus and truck structure are identical and symmetrical on both sides of its center line and hence the descrip- 'tion of one side will sufiice for both.

45 Each wheel is provided with clasp brake heads and shoes 6 and l, and 8 and 9 pivotally supported as at H] to 13 on vertical levers I4 to I! whose upper ends are pivotally supported to the truck frame as indicated at 18 to 2|. The lower 50 ends of the brake levers are pivotally connected as at 22 to 25 to horizontal equalizing levers 26 to 29 whose inner and outer ends terminate respectively in planes located on the inside and outside of the wheel. Axially adjustable tension 56 rods 30 and 3| pivotally connect together the closed and readily adjustable.

accessible.

1 Claim. (01. 188-212) outer ends of equalizing levers 26 and 21 and28 and 29 while a compression rod 32 pivotally connects the inner ends of equalizing leversv 21 and 28. A transverse rod 32' pivotally connects the compression rods 32 on each side of the truck to assist in laterally stabilizing the brake rigging. The pivots 22 to 25 forthe transverse equalizing levers lie substantially in the vertical plane of the wheels and of the vertical brake levers l4 to I1. By reason of the equalizing levers v26 to I 29 extending to the inner and outer sides of the wheel planes, it is possible to have pivots 22 to 25 located symmetrically with respect to the vertical plane of brake levers I4 to ll, it being understood that the lower ends of said levers are turned horizontally to provide a horizontal clevis .43 (Fig. 4) to receive the equalizing levers. A

tension rod 33 (Fig. 1) is pivotally connected as at 34 to the truck frame while its other end is pivotally connected to the inner end of equalizing lever 26.

A compression link 35 (Fig. 2) is pivotally connected in either one of a plurality of adjustable pivot positions 37' to a vertical operating arin 36 which is secured to the inner end of a transverse shaft 31. This shaft is suitably journalled in the truck frame and has'a vertical cylinder lever 38 secured to its outer end for pivotal attachment as at 39 to a cylinder push rod 40. This rod as is usual. is attached to the piston within brake cylinder 4| which is preferably secured to the truck side sill l as by bolts 42 in any suitable-manner. The particular improvement of this application consists in having each brake shoe maintained in cioncentric relation to its wheel by a spring pressed plunger 45 (Fig, 6) slidably supported in a sleeve 46 which has adjustable threaded connection with an ear 4'! formed on the side of the brake hanger I5. The spring 48 is thus entirely The sleeve is locked in position by a jam nut 49. The plunger bears against a lug 50 formed on the brake head 1. The ears and lugs such as 41 and 50 are duplicated on each side of the brake head and hanger to permit interchangeable use thereof in left or right hand positions. The adjusting means are associated only with the lugs and the ears which assume a position on the outsideof the truck, thereby rendering the adjustable means readily It will of course be understood that the foregoing construction is identical for each set of brake heads and hangers. As a result of this improved arrangement it is seen that I have provided a very simple and yet sturdy arrangement for holding the brake shoes concentric to the wheels when the brake is off Without any possibility of the spring dropping out of position during service regardless of the lack of attention to the equipment.

In operation, the brakes are applied by causing the brake cylinder piston tomove compression rod 46 to the right, thereby causing arm 38 to swing in a clockwise direction and rotate shaft 31 and lever 36, whereupon compression link moves equalizing lever 29 and its brake head pivotal connection 25 toward the wheel. Engagement of the brake shoe with the wheel causes equalizing lever 29 to move about its pivot 25 and accordingly pull on tension rod 3! and thereby move lever 28 and pivot 24 so as to cause brake head 8 to press its shoe against the wheel. Thereupon compression rod 32 functions to operate the equalizing levers and rods 2?, 3i) and 2% to move the brake heads 6 and 1 toward its wheel. Link 33 provides the necessary reaction force between the truck frame and the final end of the train of brake rigging levers and rods. The foregoing operation is rendered fully efiective with minimum application of force by virtue of the brake heads being maintained in concentric relation to the wheels while still permitting the brake heads toyield both forwardly and backwardly by reason of spring plungers 55 and their abutting contacts with lugs of the brake heads.

From the foregoing disclosure it is seen that I have provided a relatively simple, compact and yet efiicient means for maintaining the brake heads in concentric relation to the wheels without imposing any limitations on the brake rigging or its operation, together with having a concentric maintaining means that is economical in manufacture, maintenance and operation with the parts readily accessible for adjustment, inspection and repair while at the same time maintaining the desired degree of flexibility and ruggedness.

It will of course be understood that various changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

A brake control mechanism for a railway truck having a brake lever member and a brake head member pivotally supported thereby comprising, a hollow sleeve having threaded adjustable connection with one of said members, a. hollow plunger engageable with the other of said members and being telescopically slidably supported by said sleeve for normal movement relative thereto, and a spring disposed within said plunger and sleeve for yieldingly pressing said plunger into its said engagement.

JESSE F. HOLLOWAY. M 

